Lorelei
by N. Watanabe
Summary: Hiiragizawa Eriol is married to his job. Daidouji Tomoyo hides her feelings behind false façades. Deep down, both are single and lonely, so when they meet for a European tour, will they let go of what they deem important for the sake of each other?
1. Prelude

A/N: Hey guys! I'm back in action and finally have a fresh new story for all of you! Yay! I just got back from Europe yesterday and this story was inspired by our awesome tourguide, **Patrick**! And therefore, this story, finished or not, is dedicated to Patrick, for endlessly supplying wisdom, encouragement, information, and fun! You're the best, Pat!

Thus, our story begins.

-

**LORELEI**

_I cannot divine what it meaneth,  
This haunting nameless pain:  
A tale of the bygone ages  
Keeps brooding through my brain:_

_The faint air cools in the gloaming,  
And peaceful flows the Rhine,  
The thirsty summits are drinking  
The sunset's flooding wine;_

_The loveliest maiden is sitting  
High-throned in yon blue air,  
Her golden jewels are shining,  
She combs her golden hair;_

_She combs with a comb that it golden,  
And sings a weird refrain  
That steeps in a deadly enchantment  
The list'ner's ravished brain:_

_The doomed in his drifting shallop,  
Is tranced with the sad sweet tone,  
He sees not the yawning breakers,  
He sees but the maid alone:_

_The pitiless billows engulf him!—  
So perish sailor and bark;  
And this with her baleful singing,  
Is the Lorelei's gruesome work. _

**By Heinrich Heine  
"Loreley-Lied" (1822)**

**translated by  
Mark Twain (S.L. Clemens)  
in "A Tramp Abroad" (1880)**

-

Story by  
The Anti Fluffy

_Prelude_

Sure, I was like the stereotype for any male: afraid of commitment, scared of being attached to one woman for the rest of my life. That was a pretty good summary of my romantic life. So inevitably, being a tour guide was naturally my area of expertise. I was constantly up and around, so much that I no longer needed an apartment of my own because I wasn't around long enough to actually live in it. So I gave away my little room in London for some extra money and whenever I wasn't traveling, I hung out with some friends or stayed at a low-star hotel or motel—whatever was cheaper. And when I was _very_ desperate, I stayed with my mother.

Again, I emphasize _very_.

Living was basically not on my worries list because _Hanabi Travel_, the travel company I work for, paid for my meals and hotel rooms while I was directing a tour. It was so I could "focus on giving the tourists their moneys' worth" as the director of the whole program put it.

Being afraid of commitment influenced my relationships and my job. I would never see a person from my tour ever again in my life because simply, most of these people came from halfway around the world. My fear of commitment engulfed a lot of my life too and the way I did things. But that wasn't 100% of the singleness issue. My bachelor-ness issue. Some of my friends suspect it, but women intimidate me sometimes. I think it has a lot to do with my mother.

But that's beyond the point.

My life doesn't have any time for relationships or romantic midnight strolls through the park with a background orchestra. I'm constantly in different countries, working, and doing what I love the most—traveling. I was in high school for 2 years, then I graduated. I was in college for 3 years when I graduated with a major in European History, was on the Dean's List, Valevictorian, full marks, and I got a really, really cool hat that came with my graduation gown. Before the age of five, I already knew what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to travel. And I travel I got to do because before I entered college, _Hanabi Travel_ had already hired me. And I hadn't even sent out an application.

I started my training a week after I was done with college. They explained to me that I would sacrifice a lot for the job. I told them that I was devoted to this career and would sacrifice anything to do what I loved most.

I learned quickly that they weren't joking about sacrifice. Sometimes, I'd direct tours that lasted nineteen days long. Then I'd get a day to rest and prepare for my next tour, that was thirty days long.

If I were with a woman, I'd maybe have the opportunity to see her once or twice a month. At the most.

Some people get the idea that I'm completely content with being single.

Well, I'm not. It gets awfully lonely waking up in a king-sized bed with no one to share it with.

But the last thing I'm planning on doing is grabbing a random woman I have no interest in and bedding her. Not only is that disgusting and un-gentleman-like, it's not fair to her. And I've had plenty of women (and men) offer themselves to me.

I know I sound like a complete sap and a hopeless dreamer, but I'm waiting for _The One_.

_The One_ that I can't stop thinking about and fills my dreams. _The One_ who I can talk to for hours and never get tired of talking to. _The One_ who is beautiful inside and out.

Capital _T_ and _O_.

To put it simply, princesses like this don't roam the streets in herds.

The question that plagues me though is. . .

Would I be willing to give my life to her? My career, the only thing that matters to me?

* * *

A/N: Yay! The prelude has been typed and I hope you enjoyed it!! I still have more to write, so please review and help me out here!! Praise me or tell me to burn in H-E double hockey sticks...hopefully not the latter. Oh yeah, and CCS doesn't belong to me...the poem "Lorelei" doesn't belong to me...but the idea for the story and "Hanabi Tours" belongs to me...unless that really is a tour company...then it doesn't belong to me.


	2. Part I

A/N: Part I is up and (Woo hoo!) runnin'! I had it originally up and ready to upload earlier, but I wanted to rewrite some stuff, so that is what I did. Oh yeah, and this story often changes point of view. You'll know who's talking, just read on and don't freak out. _Breathe_.

-

**LORELEI**

-

by  
The Anti Fluffy

_Part I_

He grabbed his golden travel name tag. His name appeared on it in bold block letters. He stood in front of the antique stained-wood mirror and pinned the tag to his freshly-ironed shirt. Before grabbing his uniform jacket, he ran through his mental checklist: wallet--_check_, hair--_check_, keys--_check_, suitcase--_check_, lint roller—_check_.

The young man reached out for the brassy doorknob but stopped himself mid-reach. He returned to the front of the mirror and looked at himself once again.

"Someday," he said out loud to his reflection. "Someday I'll find her and she'll make me want to change everything." He gave himself a cynical half-smile before reaching for the cool doorknob. "Someday."

* * *

I remember the first time I ever knew that traveling would be my life. My father was a well-known businessman who traveled, but was mostly resided through the "bridge" between England and Japan. He would often stay there for long periods of time, but he would always return with a smile and something for me. If you asked my father what he did for a living, he would answer with a laugh, "I go on vacation." He traveled all over the world—America, Norway, New Zealand, Australia--and sometimes took me places where I would sit in on important meetings about one thing or another.

When I was younger, maybe three or four, he would buy me little things from Japan like stuffed animals of characters from my favorite dubbed Anime shows. Like _Anpan__Man_. Or _Doraimo_. And when I grew older, he'd buy me games for my entertainment systems. He had never taken me to Japan, but I didn't mind too much when he would leave for a few weeks here and there to go to the tiny island of a country, only to make sure that he would return as soon as possible with something for me.

The more gifts I got, the more I wanted to learn about this _Japan_where he was getting all of it. Did people over there talk like we did? Did they have unusual blue hair like mine or did they have green hair? My curiosity spread like never before, and I talked my father into letting me go to Japan with him.

When I got there, everything was so crowded, and overwhelming with lively people, rushing and running, and pushing and shoving to get from Point _A_ to Point _B_. It reminded me of New York City—except, these people were beautiful, as was their language, even if it came breathlessly through the mouth of young lady calling for a taxi.

My opening introduction of Japanese clearly and without the sound of resounding horns in the background was in a meeting negotiating stock sales. The language rolled smoothly off my father's tongue as though it was his first language—as though he had known it all along—as though he created it.

It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to learn Japanese—and more.

I was seven years old then.

Fifteen months and many hours of Japanese tutors later, I could speak Japanese fluently and read and write over seven-hundred and fifty Kanji.

I've never told anyone that whole story about why I learned Japanese. I could never tell my friends that I had suddenly been changed and completely taken back by the breath-taking language. Who would believe me? It was utmost and total bullcrap.

Most of the time, just to keep my friends able to relate, I tell them that I flipped onto a Japanese porn movie and wanted to know what they were saying.

And sadly, most of the time, they _can _relate.

* * *

Tomoyo folded the last shirt carefully and slowly to ensure that no wrinkles would suddenly appear. After an afternoon entirely devoted to ironing, she didn't feel like doing anything over. She placed it into her large suitcase and smoothed it gently, examining the texture and color of the silk blouse.

"Tomoyo!" A high-pitched shout came from downstairs. Hurried feet sounded up the stairs before a large bang erupted and the door was open. "Tomoyo-chan!!"

"Hey Sakura," Tomoyo said calmly through the chaos, her eyes not leaving the light purple color of her shirt. She had not been phased at all by Sakura's jubilant entry. You could say that she was. . .used to it.

"Yay! You didn't leave yet! Oh, you must be so excited! I'm so happy for you! I mean, going off to Europe for vacation! Wow! I wish I could afford that. . .but, oh, I'll be with Syao-kun so. . ." she mumbled off.

Tomoyo nodded and smiled lightly. She closed the suitcase and zipped it up. "Yeah, you and Syaoran-kun have a fun time doing. . .whatever you two are going to be doing. . ." She pulled her long, dark gray lustrous hair over one shoulder and looked up at her friend.

Sakura's face flushed a brilliant crimson color at this remark. "We'll be good. I promise." Tomoyo grinned sincerely.

A quick flash emitted from Sakura's left hand. Tomoyo knew what it was, but looked down anyway, then quickly turned away.

She was so happy for Sakura and Syaoran upon their engagement and did not hesitate to act upon her joyfulness. However, gently pining for the large diamond ring that stood proudly on her best friend's hand was enough to remind Tomoyo of her own loneliness.

No doubt, she had been checked out by local Japanese boys walking down the street, asked out by boys she had gone to school with and turned down all of them. There was nothing between them and she knew it. No chemistry, no romance. She wouldn't pretend to like them just to have someone to hold her. Tomoyo's heart simply wasn't into hurting boys and breaking their poor hearts. She wanted to wait for the one for her.

Her "Prince Charming."

Where the _hell_ was he anyway?

* * *

A/N: Wow, I'm making Eriol such an emo. Next thing you know he's going to jump onto the roof of his mansion, join Dashboard Confessional and/or All-American Rejects and sing something like. . . _"I loved you, but you did not notice me! I sacrificed everything for you, but you do not know my name! (Insert emo tear here) I killed myself for you--"_ and then he won't be able to finish because he'll be crying. Haha. I think I'd pay good money to see Hiiragizawa-kun do that.

Oh yeah, and has anyone actually seen _Anpan Man_? Or _Doraimo_? Dude, I grew up with those Animes! Classic! Did they ever make a dub for those shows? I watched it clean, cut, and dry—Japanese and no subtitles! Wow, that was a long time ago…I'm so old!

Izzy: Yeah, you are old!

Takuya: Be nice. She's only 14.

TAF: Sniff. I thought you guys were gone forever. I love you, Takuya. You're so mean, Izzy!

Thanks to my readers:

**Philippe**: Thanks! I was hoping it was a good opening…! I love your name! I met someone named Philippe in Europe! He was French! Haha.

**MoMo-ChAn1**: Kyute or kawaii. Nandemo. I appreciate it all. Glad you liked it, and. . .here, have some. . .cotton candy! Yay!

**pyro hisaki**: I'm glad that my writing didn't suck too bad!! Thanks so much!! (cries tears of happiness) Have some. . .cotton candy!

**Litanya**: (still crying tears of happiness) Thank you. . .I understood your sentence. . .because. . .my sentences never make sense. (Like so.) Cotton candy!

**Ukari-chan**: I'm so happy that you like it so far! Yay! People like it! tosses the rest of the cotton candy

Well that's Part I, folks! See you next chapter/part thingy!


	3. Part II

A/N: Wow. This took a while to get up. Sorry 'bout that. School is freakin' crazy because I now go to _dramatic music_ high school and like. . .80 percent of the population is Asian. Stupid stereotypes. Therefore, everything's like fifty billion times harder than it should be. And alas, I have a crapload of homework every night. And three times more over the weekend. Luckily, I stayed up until 1:30 on Friday (err. . .Saturday?) finishing most of my homework, so I have some free time right now. . .and I should be practicing piano right now. . .but oh well. . .

Anywho, on to Part II!

-

**LORELEI**

****

-

by

  
The Anti Fluffy

_Part II_

He was twenty-five and a half years old and, according to the law of his mother, "should have been married." Maybe he should have, maybe not, but he was definitely not ready to rush into anything serious.

He was the only one of his friends who had never had a girlfriend, more than two bottles of beer in a night, and sex with a complete stranger. He was also getting terrifyingly close to being the only bachelor and non-father among his chums. "Single Pride" was no longer something to be proud of at his age, and as though it wasn't painfully obvious enough to him, his mother had to make her remarks about _STILL_ not being a grandmother.

"I am old enough and will surely die soon," his mother said, flinging a hand over her face in despair, "and still, my only son—my only beautiful son cannot find himself a nice woman to wake up beside him every morning--"

"Mother," Eriol would interrupt.

But she'd continue.

"—and give him children? And give me grandchildren? Yes, my own Hiiragizawa, Eriol can graduate high school in two years and university in three, but can he get a girlfriend?" She's pause dramatically at this point as though someone would answer. "No."

After all this time, he mouthed what she said, word for word. And even imitate the hand gestures perfectly.

Sometimes, she would do her lecture in the privacy of four walls and a window, but sometimes, Heaven forbid, she'd go on with it in a grocery store.

And it was almost as though the carrots and apples found it amusing too.

"Man, Eriol," said one of his friends whose house he was spending the night at. "Me 'n Evan were talking the other day about you--"

"You were gossiping about me? Why thank you," came Eriol's sarcastic remark.

His friend laughed. "Yeah, bro, absolute gossip. Almost as bad as my girlfriend." Eriol coughed. "You need to seriously get yourself a girl. Or someone of a little bit of interest or something. I mean, c'mon Mr. Popular for his two years of high school! With the ladies _and _the guys! You stayed single throughout the whole time! We weren't sure if you were gay or straight. . .or monosexual or something. . .doing something with yourself, man."

Eriol, although he knew his friend was joking, flushed and punched him—not quite hard nor too soft. "I'm not like you and Ev. _Sukebe_." He added, forgetting his friend didn't understand Japanese.

"Dude, I don't _need _to masturbate. I got myself a girlfriend, mate."

Eriol clutched his stomach dramatically. "Dude, please don't tell me in detail about your sex life. It's really sickening and disgusting."

"Hey man, didn't have to go that far, just wanted you to know and that me and the boys are concerned and y'know, we're looking for a good one for ya."

Eriol, however, did not feel at all comforted knowing the fact that his friends were searching for a woman for him. As far as he was concerned, a street-hot prostitute would not make a good life partner.

* * *

Tomoyo stared pointlessly out of the airplane window for the nth time in the last four hours. Vacations were wonderful, but she was unsure if the plane rides made it completely worth it. _Hopefully the sights will be nice_, she thought staring into the endless horizon of fluffy clouds and blankness.

The man sitting next to Tomoyo was named Alex and he was from America. He was an interesting man who was extremely and talkative and spoke badly-accented Japanese. He was apparently on a big vacation and had spent the past two weeks in Japan. He would spend one week in England, then he was off to South Africa. Tomoyo smiled politely at his American jokes and laughed when the stories amused her. He was a very nice, good-looking man…and single. But not what she was looking for in a boyfriend…or husband.

Tomoyo mentally kicked herself. _Stop doing that. Stop acting as if being single is a bad thing._

She forced herself to smile to Alex. She realized that knowing English helped Tomoyo a lot in this situation and she hoped that she wouldn't have a hard time in Europe.

Once Alex got tired of talking and took up snoring, Tomoyo continued to stare out into the endless abyss of white clouds.

* * *

Eriol straightened his Hanabi Tours tie and blew a lock of hair out of his face, something he always did before he got a new group of tourists.

"Flight J47, Japan Airlines from Narita International Airport is not arriving at Gate 3," a woman announced on the the overcome.

He lifted his official Hanabi Tours sign high above his head as the gate opened and clumps of disoriented Japanese tourists came out, pointing and taking pictures of everything with their high-tech digital cameras.

"Hanabi Tours?" he asked the passing people. When they nodded, he usher them in Japanese to a corner and asked them to wait for him.

Normally all of his tourists were nothing special, just a bunch of people who wanted to explore the world. But there was one specific woman with deep lavender eyes and lustrous hair that caught his eye.

"Are you with Hanabi Tours?" he asked her, making sure not to studder.

"Yes," she answered in English.

For some reason, he surprised himself and found himself speaking in English as well. "Please wait for me over there with the group as I collect the remaining people."

She nodded and complied, never breaking eye contact.

As soon as they were a reasonable distance away from each other, they both remembered to breathe and thought in unison:

_Definitely married._

* * *

A/N: And now, the story finally gets interesting. Yay! I'm so glad I got to type that up…I don't know when the next chapter will be up…I don't have that much time for my own stories and stuff…most of the time I'm busy writing some random essay!! Like, for example, yesterday, I had to analyze _Les Misérables_ and wrote this huge essay on it. Blah. And there's this one ten freakin' page long essay I have to write. . .due this week. I have about five and a half pages done. Blah. So yeah. Life is chaotic, so please review!! (That didn't really make sense. . .oh well.)

The Few. The Proud. The Readers:

**SilverBlossoms**: Glad you like it. Hope this chapter is okay!

**Crystalz Tearz**: Arigatou. Hope this is a nice chappie too…

**Jenma**: Wah! I'm so honored!! Thanks for the awesome compliment!! Hope you finish your stories too!!

**MoMo-ChAn1**: Hee hee. Dogs. Hee hee. Bones. Hee hee. Yes. . .Japanese porn. . .poor Eriol…I don't think I could imagine him watching that kind of stuff. . .he _is_ rather mysterious though. . .you _never _know. (_Narrows__ eyes)_ Anyhow, arigatou, ne?

**Litanya**: Exclamation marks are awesome!!!!!!! Haha. Yeah, hope it's still interesting!!

**Angelic-Mermaid**: Glad you like it!! Updated sort of soon…?

**Ukari-chan**: Still good by the third chapter? Hope so. Thanks for the encouragement!

Thank you, everyone who's reading my story and reviewing! And thanks in general for simply reading it!! I appreciate you guys taking time out of you life to read this!! Wah! So honored!!

Until next time. . .ja ne!


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